Posted by IAS Vidyalaya
in Sep 27, 2011
South Sudan became the 54th nation in Africa and 193rd member State of United Nations (UN) on 14th July, 2011.
Facts:
1. President : Salva Kiir Mayardit
2. Area : 619,745 Sq.km.
3. Capital : Juba (Largest City)
4. Main -Minerals : Petroleum
5. Climate : Equatorial
6. Official language : English
Geographical Importance:
Officially the name is Republic of South Sudan,which is a landlocked country usually considered to be a part of North Africa or Eastern Africa. South Sudan is bordered by Ethiopia to the east, Kenya to the southeast, Uganda to the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the southwest, the Central African Republic to the west, and Sudan to the north. South Sudan includes the vast swamp region of the Sudd formed by the White Nile, locally called the Bahr al Jabal.
The capital city is planned to be moved to the more centrally-located Ramciel in the future
Posted by IAS Vidyalaya
in Sep 26, 2011
Prithvi - II Nuclear capable Ballistic Missile was test fired successfully on Monday, 26 September, 2011. The indigenously developed surface-to-surface missile was flight tested at around 8.50 am from a mobile launcher from the Integrated Test Range launch complex-III at Chandipur, Orissa.
This missile has a length of 9 metres and is one metre in diameter. It is propelled by two engines than run on liquid fuel.
Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme
Prithvi, the first ballistic missile developed under the country's prestigious Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme, has the capability of carrying 500 kg of warhead and having a range of 350 km.
Posted by IAS Vidyalaya
in Apr 20, 2011
India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle- C16 (PSLV) placed three satellites – ResourceSat – 2, an Indo-Russian YouthSat and Singapore's first satellite X Sat on a Sun-Synchronous Orbit.
1. ResourceSat – 2.
The data from ResourceSat – 2 will be used by 15 countries. The satellite, which weighs 1206 kg will collect data including those on ground water and mineral resources on land and fish density in the sea. The satellite is equipped with three cameras that can cover 740 km wide, 141 km wide and 17 km wide at resolutions ranging from 22 metres to 5 metres.
This Sattelite will help to monitor snow cover, glacier changes, urban landscape etc.
2. YouthSat
The 92-kg YouthSat is an Indo-Russian stellar and atmospheric satellite, built with the participation of students from Universities, to investigate the relationship between solar variability and upper layers of atmosphere.
3. X Sat
X Sat is a Singapore's first satellite and weighs 106 kg. The mini satellite has a multispectral camera IRIS as its main load. The satellite intends to demonstrate technologies related to satellite-based remote sensing and onboard image processing.
This is the 17th successfull flight of PSLV that boost India's image once again in Space Research.
Posted by IAS Vidyalaya
in Sep 17, 2010
under:
3 Idiots,
Aamir Khan,
Abhishek Bacchan,
Amitabh Bacchan,
Bollywood.,
Current Affairs,
Delhi 6,
General Studies Solution 2010,
IAS Mains 2010.,
Lahore,
National Film Awards 2010,
Paa,
Rituparno Ghosh
57th National Film Awards were announced in New Delhi on Wednesday at Shastri Bhawan. Once again Bollywood hog the limelight with large number of awards.
Amitabh Bachchan won his third national award for his performance in R Balki’s Paa. Paa won the Best Make Up, Best Hindi Film awards and also won Arundhati Nag the Best Supporting Actress award.
Aamir Khan's 3 Idiots was awarded Best Film providing wholesome entertainment. Among other categories included Best National Integration film which went to Abhishek Bacchan starrer Delhi 6 ,award for the Best Debut Director for Sanjay Puran Singh for his film Lahore and Farooque Shaikh got the Best Supporting Actor award in the same film, while the Best Director award went to Rituparno Ghosh for his Bengali film Abhomaan.
The list of the awards is :
Best Film – Kutty Srank(Malayalam)
Best Direction – Rituparno Ghosh
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment – 3 Idiots
Best Children’s Film – Putaani Party (kannada), Keshu(Malayalam)
Best Actor – Amitabh Bachchan (Paa)
Best Actress – Ananya Chatterjee (Abohoman)
Best Supporting Actress – Arundhati Nag (Paa)
Best Supporting Actor – Farooque Shaikh (Lahore)
Best Cinematographer: Anjali Shukla(Kutty Srank)
Best Story and Screenplay: PF Mathews and Harikrishnan(Kutty Srank)
Best Costumes: Jayakumar (Kutty Srank)
Best Music – Amit Trivedi (Dev D)
Best Lyrics – Swanand Kirkire – “Behi hawa sa tha woh” (3 Idiots)
Best Background Score: Illayaraja(Pazhassi Raja)
Best Audiography award : Resul Pookutty(Pazhassi Raja)
Best Feature Film(Malayalam)-Pazhassi Raja
Best Feature Film (Marathi) – Natarang
Best Feature Film (Hindi) – Paa
Best Feature Film (Bengali) – Abohoman
Best Feature Film (Tamil) – Pasanga
Best Special Effects – Kamal Kannan (’Magadheera’ Telugu Film)
Special Jury Award – Editor Sreekar Prasad
Best Playback singer (male) – Rupam Islam (Mahanagar)
Best Playback singer (female) – Nilanjana Sarkar (Houseful)
Best Choreography: K Shivashankar(Magadhira)
Nargis Dutt award for Best film with social message – Delhi 6
Best Child actor: Jiva and Anba Karasu(Pasanga)
Best Writing on Cinema: CS Venkateswaran
Posted by IAS Vidyalaya
in Sep 13, 2010
Beizing Olympic bronze medallist Sushil Kumar became the first Indian wrestler to win gold at a senior world championship after outclassing Alan Gogaev of Russia 3-1 in straight rounds in the final of the 66 kg freestyle category at the Olympiskiy Sports Centre in Moscow.
Posted by IAS Vidyalaya
in Aug 23, 2010
Arjun Atwal scripted history by becoming the first Indian and just the sixth Asian-born player to win on the PGA Tour when he lifted the Wyndham Championship trophy in Greensboro (USA) on Sunday.
Posted by IAS Vidyalaya
in Jun 30, 2010
The Indian Badminton sensation Saina Nehwal notched 3rd rank after winniing three world titles in a row.
Saina had won the Indian Open Grand Prix at home, the Singapore Open Super Series Tournament and defending her Indonesia Open Super Series trophy in Jakarta.
At her mentor P. Gopichand's Academy she said that while her immediate goals were to do well at the Worlds, Commonwealth and Asian Games, her dream is to win a medal at the London Olympics.
Posted by IAS Vidyalaya
in Feb 24, 2010
Today, Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman in the World to score 200 runs in ODI. He achieved this in 2nd ODI between India and South Africa played at Gwalior.
Moreover, this Double Century of Sachin Tendulkar was 46th Century of his One Day International career.
Posted by IAS Vidyalaya
in Feb 7, 2010
India successfully test fires Nuclear Capable Agni - III Missile.
Posted by IAS Vidyalaya
in Feb 5, 2010
India will launch Cartosat 2B soon. According to the Chairman of ISRO, this is a high-resolution remote sensing satellite with 0.8 metre resolution that can even take pictures of a car on the ground. It will help in Infrastructre and Urban Planning in India. the launch vehicle for it will be PSLV rocket.
Previously, we have Cartosat-2 and Cartosat 2-A which have been launched January 2007 and April 2008 respectively.
Courtsey PTI.
Posted by IAS Vidyalaya
in Jan 12, 2010
Jawahar Lal Nehru National Solar Mission "Solar India"
On Monday 11, January, 2010, PM
Dr. Manmohan Singh Launched "Solar India" mission which aims at development and deployment of solar energy technologies in the country to achieve parity with grid power tariff by
2022.
The
objective of the
National Solar Mission is to establish
India as a global leader in
solar energy, by creating the policy conditions for its diffusion across the country as quickly as possible.
It is a 3-phase approach, spanning the remaining period of
the
11th Plan and first year of the
12th Plan (up to 2012-13) as Phase 1, the remaining 4 years of the 12th Plan (2013-17) as Phase 2 and the
13th Plan (2017-22) as Phase 3.
To achieve this, the Mission
targets are:
1. To create an enabling policy framework for the deployment of 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022.
2. To ramp up capacity of grid-connected solar power generation to 1000 MW
within three years – by 2013; an additional 3000 MW by 2017 through the
mandatory use of the renewable purchase obligation by utilities backed with a preferential tariff. This capacity can be more than doubled – reaching 10,000MW installed power by 2017 or more, based on the enhanced and enabled international finance and technology transfer. The ambitious target for 2022 of 20,000 MW or more, will be dependent on the ‘learning’ of the first two phases, which if successful, could lead to conditions of grid-competitive solar power. The transition could be appropriately up scaled, based on availability of international finance and technology.
3. To create favourable conditions for solar manufacturing capability, particularly solar thermal for indigenous production and market leadership.
4. To promote programmes for off grid applications, reaching 2000 MW by 2022 including 20 million solar lighting systems.
5. To achieve 20 million sq. solar thermal collector area by 2022.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is the nodal Ministry of the Government of India for all matters relating to new and renewable energy. The broad aim of the Ministry is to develop and deploy new and renewable energy for supplementing the energy requirements of the country.
ASTRA - Air-to-Air Future Missile Of India.
India test fired
ASTRA twice at its
Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Orissa on Monday,11, January, 2009. It is beyond visual range (BVR) missile with solid fuel as propellent. ASTRA is designed and produced by
DRDO.
But the problem is, with 160 kg weight and 3.7-metre long Astra is very heavy compared to other foreign made BVR missiles and, its integration with Sukhois and other fighter planes poses problems. Moreover, tests on Monday were from underslung ground launchers, not from fighters flying at supersonic speeds.
Furthermore, it will need 20-40 tests for Astra-I, with a 45-km strike range, to be dubbed fully-operational. Then only 80-km range Astra-II will follow.
Consequently, India is forced to import from Russia, France and Israel huge quantities of expensive BVR missiles like AA-12 Adder, Matra Super 530D and Derby to arm its fighters like Sukhoi-30MKIs, Mirage-2000s and MiG-29s.
Meanwhile, IAF desperately needs indigenous BVR missiles since the days of close-range dogfights are fast receding. In modern-day air combat, fighters often use BVR missiles to destroy enemy aircraft at ranges over 40 km away, without coming anywhere close to each other.
Posted by IAS Vidyalaya
in Jan 8, 2010
An official report
'India State of Forest Report 2009' released in New Delhi on Monday by the Minister for Forests and Environment Jairam Ramesh shows that India's green cover during the period 1997-2007 had grown by 3.13 million hectares.It is based on the work done by the Forest Survey of India
According to the official report, India's net addition is 0.3 million hectares per year. Whereas for Brazil and Indonesia there has been a net loses 2.5 million hectares in the same time period.
Broadly, about 34 per cent of the country's forests fall in the tropical moist deciduous category, 30 per cent in the tropical dry deciduous, 11 per cent in Himalayan temperate, nine per cent in the tropical wet evergreen category, 6 per cent in subtropical pine and about 5 per cent in the tropical thorn category, says the report.
Moreover, for the first time, India's forests have been mapped into 16 forest type groups and forest and tree cover has been estimated with due consideration to altitudinal levels.
One of the Key finding of the report indicates that India seemed to be doing well in protecting its dense forests, but lagged behind where moderately forest areas are concerned. So, it is a matter of concern as our large forest area is under moderately forest area.
Posted by IAS Vidyalaya
in Jan 5, 2010
China - ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
The
Free Trade Agreement(FTA) between China and ASEAN comes into force on Friday.
In this agreement China cut tariffs on import from ASEAN from an average of 9.8% to about 0.1%. Original members of ASEAN - Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Phillipines, Singapore and Thailand have also agreed to cut import duty from an average of 12.8% to just 0.6%. This agreement expands a limited 2005 agreement between these nations.
Impact on India
India had also signed Free Trade Agreement in Goods with ASEAN as part of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement(CECA), in August 2009 in Bangkok. Moreover, currently negotiations on Agreements on Trade in Services and Investment with ASEAN are going on.
So, there is little concern regarding trade with ASEAN countries but story is different when picture of trade with China comes. At present 58% of Indian export to China consists of Iron Ore with very little component of value added goods. India has been trying to widen the trade basket to inclue manufactured goods, fruits and vegetables. This effort might be severely hit because goods from ASEAN nations will now cost much less to Chinese Consumers.
